How Organized Crime Set the Agenda for Ecuador’s Presidential Elections
Ecuador’s presidential candidates come from a wide ideological spectrum, but when it comes to organized crime, their campaigns – and…
Paraguay’s Endless Prison Crisis
Paraguay’s penitentiary system remains in a state of emergency for a second year, yet without measures to tackle the root…
GameChangers 2024: Ecuador Finds Victory Elusive in ‘War on Gangs’
Ecuador became the latest Latin American nation to turn to a militarized response to combat organized crime in 2024. But…
The Prison Mafias: Ecuador’s Criminal Axis
Organized crime in Ecuador today operates on several levels. At the upper echelons are the drug traffickers who control Ecuador’s…
The Evolution of Ecuador’s Prison Crisis
Over the last five years, Ecuador has been engulfed in violence and a criminal chaos unprecedented in its modern history.…
Ecuador’s Prison Business
The moment a person enters Ecuador’s prison system, they become a resource to be exploited by organized crime and corrupt…
The Rise and Fall of El Negro Willy, Ecuador’s Prison-Guard Mafia Boss
The first sign that armed gang members had invaded a TV station in Guayaquil came when two masked youths appeared…
Jailhouse Massacre in Ecuador Illustrates Rapid Criminal Evolution
A recent massacre inside Ecuador’s largest and most violent prison is an ominous sign that the country’s multiple criminal organizations…
How ‘Canteens’ Feed Crime in Brazil’s Prisons
The dismantling of the “canteen mafia,” which controlled food distribution in Rio de Janeiro’s prisons, highlights the growing presence of…
Despite Interventions, Venezuela’s Prison Gangs Thrive
The intervention in yet another Venezuelan prison under criminal leaders’ control highlights the ongoing failure of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime…